Alexa turns 2 months old today. Isn’t she lovely in that little dress and pink headband?

Daddy and I were amazed the first time we heard Alexa’s “ooh” sounds like she can understand what we are telling her. She would look at us in the eye as if she’s trying to remember every detail of her parents’ faces. And those little giggles? Priceless!

At night, we sleep next to each other, and I would wake up with her lying on one side facing me. In a few weeks, maybe she would already be rolling over to lie on her tummy. Another milestone of hers to look forward to!

We can’t wait to see how she is as a toddler, a school kid, and as a grown up. But of course, we’re taking things one step at a time and we would not want to miss her “firsts” for anything.

Ever wondered what your newborn baby wants to tell you when he/she cries? My first weeks with Alexa have really been crazy because I have to guess why she’s crying — either she needs milk, change of diapers, or a little dance to put her to sleep. Sometimes, it’s none of those and that really drives me nuts!

If you have the same problem as mine, watch this video:

Isn’t that amazing? Take note though that it applies only to infants 0-3 months old.

Just a quick review of the new “baby words” we just learned:

“Neh” – I’m hungry

“Owh” – I’m sleepy

“Heh” – I’m not comfortable

“Eair” – I wanna fart!

“Eh” – Burp me!

Try it! Your first 3 months with your baby will somehow be easier because you can already understand what she’s saying, er, crying about.

As a first time mom, I would always ask myself if I’m being a good mom to Alexa, especially since hubby and I are still learning and exploring the world of parenting. So far, I think we’re doing fine. I can say we’re doing our best.

Here’s an inspiring blog/video shared by one of my Facebook friends which I cannot help to share as well with you guys, especially to fellow moms out there. (Grab some tissue and click on photo below)

Isn’t that heart melting?

I hope someday Alexa would also think that her mom is awesome, that she is her hero, and that she’s THE BEST! I look forward to doing girly stuff with her someday and, more than being her mom, I hope to be her best friend…

But hey, let’s not push the ‘fast forward’ button that much. We’re still enjoying kissing her tiny toes!

Things have been crazy at home since Alexa was born. All the crying, changing of stinking diapers, drinking milk and vomiting, and the sleepless nights which I don’t think I will be getting used to. The crying, most especially, makes me go insane sometimes. Mommy here is still learning baby language!

“Me time” (a.k.a. time while baby is asleep which is only about 1-2 hours in between feeds and burps) is getting sooo precious nowadays, and all I can do is eat my meals, do laundry, or sleep. I rarely have time for baking and blogging. *sad* (Note: this post is done in 2 days, which in some parts I have to type with one hand!)

Anyway, while going through Facebook posts, I’m glad to have stumbled upon this post by Mummys Market, Ways to Soothe a Crying Baby. Hope you find this helpful as much as I did.

Ways to Soothe a Crying Baby

Infants: Birth to 6 months
Newborns can’t control their crying any better than you can control your hiccups. In the first few weeks of life, crying is sometimes a reflexive behavior. But it gives us that panicky feeling: “What’s wrong? How do I stop it?”

It’s important to step back, take a deep breath, and remember that infants are supposed to cry. She’s crying because she has no other way to communicate.”

Babies: 6 to 12 months
Around 6 months, your baby starts to figure out that he can cry to get a reaction from you. It’s sort of like when he hurls his squash across the room and coolly watches you clean the mess, or when he extends his arms to be picked up. He’s amassing an internal database of causes and effects.

Your baby is also puzzling out a psychological concept called object permanence. He was fine if you left the room when he was an infant, because he couldn’t really comprehend that you were missing. Now when he sees you leave, he may be confused about where you are and whether you’re coming back. Since he can’t call out for you or ask where you’re going, he uses the only tool he has — crying — to get your attention. After all, his early experiences prove that when he cries, you come running.

::Soothing a Crying Baby::

1. Rock-a-bye baby: Place baby in your arms, stand with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart, and swivel back and forth at the hips. Your movement can be fairly vigorous as long as you’re holding baby close. When you get tired, use the rocking chair.

2. Baby swings offer soothing, rhythmic motion that helps calm baby down. Just make sure the swing is designed for a small baby, as little ones may slump over in a large one.

3. The vibrating motion of a washing machine or dryer has saved the sanity of many a frustrated parent. Place baby in an infant seat, put it on top of the appliance, and hold on to it firmly so the seat stays in place.

4. Swaddle away: Wrapping baby cozily in a thin, lightweight blanket with her arms across her chest has a wonderful calming effect. Swaddled babies often sleep longer and more soundly, too.

5. Try kangaroo care. This technique is especially good for preemies. Undress baby, lie down, place her against your naked skin, and cover both of you with a warm, soft blanket.

6. Strap on a sling: It’s not surprising that the warm, dark, close comfort of a baby sling is a surefire soother. An added bonus: You can breastfeed anywhere undercover.

7. Bring On the Noise: A pregnant belly is not the serene sanctuary you might imagine. Your baby can hear the pounding of your heart, the rush of your blood, and the gurgling of your stomach. For some newborns, silence isn’t golden.

8. Turn on a fan: The soft whirring is music to a fussy baby’s ears.

9. Hush with a “Shush!”: Your “shushing” sound mimics what baby heard in the womb. Say it directly into her ear, over and over again. (For more info, see this video)

10. Try white noise: Any machine with a consistent rushing sound has a soothing effect; recordings of waves on the beach, rainfall, or the sound of a waterfall will work as well.

11. Getting Rid of Gas
If you suspect your baby is crying from gas pain:
– lay him down across your knees and gently rub his back
– bicycle his legs while he lies on his back
– talk to your doctor about using infant gas drops

Or pat her back to burp 🙂

12. Could It Be Colic?
One-fifth of babies develop colic, which means they cry inconsolably for three hours or more a day for three weeks or more; it peaks at six weeks and usually resolves itself by three months.
– Try the colic hold: Lay baby facedown on your forearm, cradle her close to your body, and rock her back and forth.

13. Pacifier Cures?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there’s nothing wrong with giving a newborn a pacifier. Some children have strong sucking needs and are quickly soothed by a binky. Most babies give up the paci on their own around the seventh month. If yours doesn’t, don’t worry. The AAP says it’s unlikely to harm his development.

14. Go Outside for a Stroll
Fresh air and sunshine can help Mom and Baby feel better. A change of scenery can be distracting enough to calm your newborn’s cries.

15. Give baby a massage: Some babies find stroking soothing.

16. Reduce External Stimulation. Babies sometimes cry because there is too much going on for their little minds to process. Try dimming the lights, removing toys, and reducing noise levels.

17. Check the temperature in your house: Baby could be too hot or too cold.

19. Sing or Hum. Soft, gentle songs sung by a familiar voice will often calm Baby’s cries. Humming also offers a soothing vibratory sensation. (…and a way to warm up those vocal chords!)

20. Change the Way You Hold Baby. Some little ones like to be held over the shoulder, some prefer the football hold, and still others like to be held facing out. Experiment to learn what your infant likes best.

21. Check Baby’s Diaper. A wet or soiled diaper is one of the most common reasons for a baby’s tears. Even if you have recently changed your baby’s diaper, it’s still a good idea to check again.

22. Feed Baby. Most babies cry when they are hungry. Try offering the breast or bottle to soothe your little one.

23. Distract Baby. It’s surprising how often this method works. Parents who’ve tried this suggest making faces or blowing raspberries as surefire ways to make Baby laugh, and to take her mind off of the reason for her tears.

24. Undress Baby
Sometimes the reason for Baby’s discomfort lies beneath the surface. For this reason, experts suggest undressing your baby and looking to see if you can spot a physical problem. Snaps can pinch little legs and diaper tape can stick to skin.

The best thing parents can do when their infant is crying is to stay calm. An increase in your stress level will increase your baby’s. Remain calm and your baby might follow suit.

TGIF! Have a great day!

P.S. Today is All Souls’ Day, We are lighting a candle and saying our prayers for the souls of my beloved Mom, my parents in law, and all our loved ones who had departed the world but somehow had been a part of our lives. And before I forget, a late greeting of “Happy Halloween” to all the kids and the kids-at-heart!

It has been a super duper busy week for us. All our visitors (including my uncle and aunt who helped us with Alexa) had left and flown back home to Manila last weekend.

Being (first time) parents is fun and yet challenging, especially when she cries of starvation in the middle of the night when our sleep is at its deepest. Ugh.

These are the times when we miss our pre-baby days, but it still does not beat the experience of being parents. Even better, hubby and I now get to be real hands-on mom and dad, depending on no one else but each other.

It’s my third favourite day of the week again.. Friday! Of course, Saturday and Sunday are the first two. Also, this probably would be my last Friday at work before I go on maternity leave. Yay!

Getting ready for Baby Alexa’s arrival which is in exactly two weeks, I am now looking around for baby stuff, both online and in the malls, that I will ask hubby to buy when the need arises. I want to make sure that if we buy it, we will surely use it.

Today, I received the Alva cloth diapers which I ordered the other day from an online store based in Singapore. They have cute designs and are very affordable. I was actually comparing them with those sold in Manila (Babyland brand), but after finding out online that they have the same quality and here is even cheaper (local delivery included), I opted to buy here in Singapore.

I became aware of cloth diapers when one of my good friends gave me some as gift during the baby shower. Then, giving it some thought and after reading about them online, I PLAN to go 100% cloth diapering for the following reasons:

Eco-friendly. Seeing the floods in Manila caused by waste pollution (and being aware of the piles of garbage around the world, in general) has discouraged me to use disposable diapers. Just imagine, a baby can use, let’s say 10 diapers on average daily for the first year, times 365 days… that’s 3,650 disposable diapers added to the pile of garbage! No way, man!

Cost-saving. With 3,650 disposable diapers for the first year from the calculation earlier, times S$0.45/diaper (average price of mid to premium range), it will cost about S$1,642.50! Comparing to cloth diapers (pocket-type and usable from newborn to 3 years) which I bought for S$7.50/pc, times 20 pcs (average daily usage), total investment of S$150.00. Even if adding the use of water and soap for washing, we can still save money in the long run, plus we can use them on our second child (..and third, and fourth… haha, stop right there!).

No harmful chemicals. Baby’s bum will not be exposed to harmful chemicals which they say causes rashes. Prevention is better than cure!

Cute designs. My current favorites are those with “safari” prints. But the pink polka dots design below is so cute!

Both disposables and cloth diapers has its pros and cons, but for us, we think that cloth diapers will be better for our baby, and for the environment as well.

Some of our friends have told us that we will not survive without disposables, but I also know some parents who have been 100% cloth diapering their babies and are very happy. So I guess it’s worth trying and see for ourselves which will be better for us.

In a few months, I will share with you our cloth diapering adventure once we get the hang of it. Maybe even with some tips and tricks to help mommies (and daddies) out there who also intend to use cloth diapers and be nice to Mother Earth!